In our world today, we seem to always be on the go.

We go from point A to point B, and tend to give

little consideration to what is in between. One of

the easiest things we can drive past and forget about

are the churches in our community.

The churches that we drive by are not just empty buildings

with nothing going on, as each church represents a

community of people who are united in one purpose. It

is a purpose which belongs to Jesus.

None of the people that you will encounter

in the church are perfect. Actually, each

church is filled with imperfect people who sin

on a daily basis. Remember, it is not the people

that define whether or not church is relevant

for you and me, but what defines the relevancy

of the church in our world today is the purpose

for its gathering.

The reason the church gathers is Jesus.

A church is founded upon Christ, and seeks

to know Christ better every day, all while having

a goal of loving the community in the name of Christ

and sharing the gospel, something which is absolutely

relevant in our world today.

The world that we are in seems to be getting a bit

stranger every day. It is increasingly more important in

this day and time to be plugged into a Bible-believing

church.

Why is that? Because a church is a body of believers in

Christ that exist in the community together in order to

honor and glorify God, to live life with one another, and

to share the gospel of Christ with everyone we come into

contact with. The church is called to be a place of healing,

a place where love and peace can be found and a place

where the lost can find a home.

In Roman 12:9 we are told the church exists to “Let

love be without hypocrisy. Detest evil; cling to what is

good. Love one another deeply as brothers and sisters.”

Sometimes people in the church can fall short on this.

Although we must remember even if we find ourselves

in those times not to run from the church but to run to

it. We should be loving others as we see God, calling His

church to do the same as we are told in this letter to the

Roman church. This type of love requires sincere effort

and heart which can only happen when that

love is transformed by the love which Christ

has demonstrated for us at the cross.

This kind of love only comes from God. In

1 John 4:19 it states, “We love, because He

(God) first loved us.” God’s love is the source

of all human love, and it spreads like a fire.

With God loving His children, He fans the

flame in our hearts, and with that flame burning

brightly it warms those around them.

To be a part of a church that loves others

well is to be a part of where God’s love is present.

His love is not for the few, but rather something

that everyone reading this article can experience in a

Christ-centered church.

I encourage you to enjoy the beauty that is around you

in your point A to point B commute while remembering

the next time you drive by to check out the churches

around you. Who knows? You may find yourself a part of

a faith-filled family that loves one another well.

Cody Dean is the Associate Pastor of Discipleship and

Education at Edgewood Baptist Church located at 717 S.

Main St. in Nicholasville. He is a 2013 graduate of Clear

Creek Baptist Bible College in Pineville, Kentucky. He currently

lives in Nicholasville with his wife, Demetria, and

three sons, Josiah, Jonah, and Jeremiah.